The rat exorbital lacrimal gland has been used to establish model cell dissociation and short term culture procedures for salivary gland acinar cells. Three dissociation procedures have been tried. Cell viability, as assessed by trypan blue exclusion, was higher following exposure either to (1) EDTA, collagenase and hyaluronidase or to (2) papain and collagenase than it was after (3) EDTA and papain. After 5-7 days in culture, peroxidase activity was demonstrable and the cells responded to carbamyl choline. The effects of various inhibitors such as vinblastine on the secretory process is now being investigated.